ArcelorMittal to invest 1.8 billion euros with state aid to decarbonise its Dunkirk site

The factory is one of the fifty industrial sites that emit the most greenhouse gases in France.

Bruno Le Maire announced on Sunday, January 14 that steel group ArcelorMittal plans to invest 1.8 billion euros in the decarbonization of its sites. Steel production From Dunkirk (North). According to the Minister of the Economy, this should make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions from the industrial sector in France by about 6%, while the factory is one of the fifty industrial sites that emit the most greenhouse gases in the country. The state will provide aid, approved by the European Union, which could go up to 850 million euros depending on the investments actually made, Bersi said.

Emmanuel Macron was greeted “Historic Agreement” Enabled by the France 2030 plan dedicated to innovation. “Ultimately, more than 1% of our CO2 emissions will be eliminated”, he congratulated himself in a message on the LinkedIn network. The money released by the company and the state will make it possible to build two electric furnaces as well as a direct iron reduction unit, the first step in producing carbon-free steel.

These installations, powered by electricity and gas, and eventually hydrogen, will replace coal-fired furnaces, making it possible to reduce the site’s CO2 emissions by 4.4 million tons per year. The investment has not yet been fully approved by ArcelorMittal but the company is currently doing final studies, Bursey said. The furnaces and direct iron reduction unit are expected to be operational in 2027.

Earth’s average temperature since the 19th century Warmer by 1.1°C . Scientists have established with certainty that this increase is due to human activities, which consume fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). This warming, unprecedented in its pace, threatens the future of our society and biodiversity. But solutions – renewable energy, moderation, reduced meat consumption – do exist.